Jim Harbaugh and Tom Allen address Mike Hart’s collapse during Michigan football vs. Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It was a scary moment on the sidelines during what should have been a joyous occasion.
Michigan football running backs coach Mike Hart, who formerly held the same position at Indiana before coming to Ann Arbor in 2021, collapsed on the sidelines, having what was an apparent seizure in the first quarter. Once the band had stopped playing, the stadium fell silent, trying to understand what was happening as the cart came out onto the field, well away from the action of the game.
Moments later, Hart was carted off and gave a thumbs up, indicating he was OK. But it appears he’ll be held overnight in Bloomington for observation.
“Yeah, Mike had a medical emergency during the game,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “And he’s in stable condition. He’s going to stay overnight here in Bloomington for continuing observation. Mike’s a strong guy and just abundant prayers go his way and really put things in perspective.”
After that moment, play on the field seemed superfluous, and the Wolverines appeared to take it that way, to some degree. After having marched down the field for a touchdown, the air was taken out of all maize and blue units, and they didn’t appear to have re-galvanized until the second half.
Harbaugh said after the game that everyone’s mind shifted from the game to Hart’s health, which is obvious, given the circumstances.
“Everybody in the moment, everybody’s thoughts are with Mike — mine were, everybody around us was (looking) to get him to get the care that he needed,” Harbaugh said. “And I thought they knew he was able to, before they took him off, looked like he was back. Most important thing is just health at that point in time.”
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Of course, Tom Allen has some familiarity, especially since Hart was the assistant head coach near the end of his tenure with the Hoosiers. He had a few words for his former assistant after the game, noting that he also shared his thoughts with Harbaugh during the postgame handshake.
“Just prayers for Mike Hart,” Allen said. “I don’t know the situation. I did talk to coach Harbaugh at the end of the game. Very close with Mike. Talked to him even this week via text before we played him. It sounds like he is going to be OK, but obviously, a concern when he went down.
“Our hearts for him are heavy and his family. Prayers for them. Thoughts for them. We’re praying that he is going to have a full recovery.”
Michigan said it’s giving the game ball from Saturday’s contest to Hart once he returns to Ann Arbor.
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What Jim Harbaugh said after Michigan football beat Indiana
